SORELMETAL

Eighth Edition

A DESIGN ENGINEERS DIGEST OF

DUCTILE IRON

INTRODUCTION
During recent years, producers and users of Ductile Iron castings have
observed that many potential users of Ductile Iron castings are not aware of
the wide range of properties offered by the family of Ductile Iron alloys.
Since their commercial introduction in 1948, Ductile Iron castings have
proven to be a cost effective alternative to malleable iron castings, steel castings, forgings, and fabrications. This is for a multitude of reasons, some of
which are explained in the following pages.
Ductile Iron castings are found in every field of engineering and in every
geographic area of the world. Ductile Iron is known under different names,
such as S.G. Iron or Nodular Iron. This booklet uses the term Ductile Iron,
which is the most commonly referred to name in North America.
Throughout this booklet are many examples of Ductile Iron castings. A
good portion of these castings have been converted to Ductile Iron from other
materials and manufacturing processes.
After reading the information contained in this booklet, it is hoped the
design engineer will be sufficiently informed and encouraged to take advantage of the performance potential of Ductile Iron as a cost effective engineering material. Ask your Ductile Iron foundry for more information and assistance.

PRECISION INSTRUMENT
CONNECTING FRAME
Courtesy: IBM, W. Germany

CONTENTS

PRINCIPLES

DUCTILE IRONS WHEN AND WHY....................5

UTILIZE THE FREEDOM OFFERED BY

THE CASTING PROCESS................................22

FIRST A WORD ABOUT STEEL AND IRON ......7-8

UNDERSTAND THE FUNDAMENTALS OF

THE CASTING PROCESS................................24

THE FAMILY OF DUCTILE IRONS ........................9

DESIGN FOR OPTIMUM ECONOMY ..................26

DUCTILE IRON MORE STRENGTH

FOR LESS EXPENSE ......................................14

DESIGN FOR CASTING SOUNDNESS ..............27

THE DUCTILE IRON FOUNDRY ..........................36

SPECIFY NO MORE DIMENSIONAL

ACCURACY THAN NEEDED............................28

INSPECTION ........................................................37

THE EFFECT OF SECTION SIZE

ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES ....................29

EXAMPLES OF DUCTILE IRON

THE DESIGNERS CHOICE ............................38

DESIGN WITH ADEQUATE SAFETY ..................31

TRUST THE FOUNDRY........................................33
COMMUNICATE WITH THE FOUNDRY ..............34

Characteristic

Ductile Malleable
Iron
Iron

Grey
Iron

0.3%C
Cast Steel

DUCTILE IRONS WHEN AND WHY

White
Iron

THE PLACE of Ductile Iron among engineering

materials is as difficult to define precisely as it is for
example for wood, plastic or aluminum. No materials
can be better than all the others. Nevertheless, thousands of examples prove, that Ductile Iron castings
can replace other materials and manufacturing
processes with either an improvement in performance or lower production cost, or both.

Castability
Ease of
Machining
Vibration
Damping
Surface
Hardenability
Modulus of
Elasticity
Impact
Resistance
Corrosion
Resistance
Strength/
Weight
Wear
Resistance
Cost of
Manufacture
BEST

NA

NA
NA

THE DESIGNER is advised to become acquainted

with this family of cast alloys, with the production of
castings and with general foundry operations. For
instance, while not all foundries produce Ductile Iron
grades, virtually all castings or cast shapes can be
made from an appropriate grade of Ductile Iron.
Ductile Iron will always have ductility. It is at least as
strong as cast mild steel, but can be specified at
much higher yield strength. Material selection
depends not necessarily on strength. Within the limits of the space available, this booklet attempts to
acquaint you with a variety of Ductile Iron properties.

NA

NA

WORST

THE FINAL CHOICE may or may not be Ductile

Iron. The purpose of this booklet is to point out the
unique combination of properties available with this
material thereby helping the designer make a safe
and economical choice. This choice is made much
easier due to the existence of many foundries, capable of producing Ductile Irons of reliable quality.

RADIAL TIRE MOULD.

Courtesy: Morris Bean & Co., Yellow
Springs, Ohio, U.S.A.

HOUSING
Courtesy: Vulcan Iron Works, USA

THE EXAMPLES in this digest highlight the freedom

Ductile Iron offers to the designer, while providing
internal integrity. The five-stage turbo-compressor
housing shown above must be pressure tight at very
high testing pressures. This was accomplished, even
though the shape of the housing is exceptionally
complex.

Courtesy: Cast Iron Pipe Research Association, USA

Dropping a 2-ton weight from a height of 9 meters

caused a slight dent in this Ductile Iron pipe but did not
reduce its serviceability.

FIRST A WORD...

5.0

PURE, carbon-free iron is practically never used

as a cast metal because it is soft and weak. As carbon content increases, so does hardness and
strength. The beneficial effect of carbon, although
creating production problems, is advantageous to
about 0.9% carbon. These alloys are called
STEELS. Additional problems are encountered with
carbon contents to about 2.0%, and these semisteels are seldom used. WHITE IRONS, containing
2 to about 3.3% carbon, can be used for highly abrasive service, but the application is limited due to the
brittle nature of the alloy. It is a true cast iron, but
most of the contained carbon is present as iron carbide Fe3C, a hard and brittle compound.

%C + 1/3% Si = 4.3
Ductile Irons

4.0
Carbon Content (%)

Gray Irons
3.0
Malleable Irons
White Irons

2.0

%C + 1/6% Si = 2.0

1.0

Steels
0

1.0

2.0
3.0
Silicon Content (%)

4.0

Ductile Iron

X50

The carbon contents of white and MALLEABLE

irons overlap. Indeed, malleable iron must solidify as
white iron. (Hence, its production is limited to relatively thin castings.) A lengthy heat treatment of the
white iron castings decomposes the Fe3C into iron
and nodules of graphite. In this condition, malleable
iron exhibits strength/elongation combinations from
40,000 p.s.i. (280 mPa) with 18% elongation to
116,000 p.s.i. (800 mPa) with about 2% elongation.
Gray Iron

X50

White Iron

X50

...ABOUT STEEL AND IRON

In gray and Ductile Irons, carbon in excess of its
solubility in solid iron is present as finely dispersed
graphite shapes, rather than as Fe3C (cementite,
iron carbide). In GRAY CAST IRONS the graphite
flakes act as stress raisers and under stress help
crack propagation (See illustration A). As a result,
gray cast irons are weak, with ultimate tensile
strength is the order of 20,000 to 58,000 p.s.i. (150
to 400 mPa) and with practically no elongation. The
size of graphite flakes varies with production conditions and, also, with casting thickness. Normally
flake lengths are from 0.1 to 1.0 mm.

CAST IRON WITH SPHEROIDAL GRAPHITE

(i.e. Ductile Iron) became an industrial reality in
1948. A suitable treatment of the molten iron causes
the graphite to precipitate as spheroids, rather than
flakes. The nearly spherical shape of the graphite
removes the crack effect and, in fact, the graphite
spheroids act as crack-arresters, as shown impressively on the page (See illustration B).

THE FAMILY OF DUCTILE IRONS

PEARLITIC-FERRITIC DUCTILE IRON (80-55-06)

The majority of Ductile Iron castings are produced

in one of the following three types, all of which can be
produced in the as-cast condition without the need
for heat treatment.

Graphite spheroids in a mixed matrix of ferrite and

pearlite. This is the most common grade of Ductile
Iron. Properties are between those with fully ferritic
or fully pearlitic structures. Good machinability.
Usually the least expensive Ductile Iron.

FERRITIC DUCTILE IRON (60-40-18)

PEARLITIC DUCTILE IRON (100-70-03)

Graphite spheroids in a matrix of ferrite which is

basically pure iron. High impact resistance.
Relatively good thermal conductivity. High magnetic
permeability. Low hysteresis loss. In some exposures, good corrosion resistance. Good machinability.

Graphite spheroids in a matrix of pearlite. Pearlite

is a fine aggregate of ferrite and cementite (Fe3C).
Relatively hard. Moderate ductility. High strength.
Good wear resistance. Moderate impact resistance.
Somewhat reduced thermal conductivity. Low magnetic permeability. High hysteresis loss. Good
machinability.

Ferritic
Grade 60-40-18
60,000 p.s.i.
(414 mPa)

FerriticPearlitic
pearlitic
Grade 80-55-06 Grade 100-70-03
80,000 p.s.i.
100,000 p.s.i.
(552 mPa)
(690 mPa)

MATRIX
Martensitic
Tempered
(With retained
Martensitic
austenite)
115,000 p.s.i.
N.A. *
(793 mPa)

*Approximate ultimate tensile strength 87,000 p.s.i. (600 mPa) Hard, Brittle

ADI
Grade 150-100-70

ADI
Grade 230-185-

Austenitic

150,000 p.s.i.
(1050 mPa)

230,000 p.s.i.
(1600 mPa)

45,000 p.s.i.
(310 mPa)

(Note that magnifications are different.)

 AUSTEMPERED DUCTILE IRON (ADI)

Occasionally, the designer will encounter special

situations, and consider the special grades of the
Ductile Iron alloys.

This is the most recent addition to the Ductile Iron

family and represents a new group of Ductile Irons
offering the design engineer a remarkable combination of strength, toughness and wear resistance.

MARTENSITIC DUCTILE IRON (Q&T)

In the as-cast condition the alloy is hard and brittle, and seldom used. However, TEMPERED
MARTENSITE has very high strength and wear
resistance. A 930F (500C) tempering results in 300
HB, a 1110F (600C) tempering in 250 HB hardness.

ADI is almost twice as strong as the regular ASTM

grades of Ductile Iron whilst still retaining high elongation and toughness characteristics. In addition,
ADI offers exceptional wear resistance and fatigue
strength, thus enabling designers to reduce component weight and costs for equivalent or improved performance.

AUSTENITIC DUCTILE IRON

They are never chosen for strength alone. The
outstanding features are good corrosion and oxidation resistance, magnetic properties, strength and
dimensional stability at elevated temperatures. (Also
known as Ductile Ni-Resist).

200

1380

160

1100

120

830
Q&T Ductile Iron

80

40

550
ASTM grades Ductile Iron
Gray Iron
5

10
Elongation (%)

15

Tensile strength MPa

Tensile strength (103 psi)

Austempered Ductile Iron

275

20

Note: The orange sheet in the back of this book gives more
information on specifications and properties.

Crop Box from Steel Weldment

Black Clawson Foundry, Watertown, NY

10

The remarkable properties of ADI are developed

by a closely controlled heat treatment operation
(austempering) which develops a unique matrix
structure of bainitic ferrite (60%) and retained (high
carbon) austenite.

The heat treatment necessary to produce ADI is

essentially a two-stage operation:
2000

Temperature (F)

The retained (H.C.) austenite is thermally stable to

extremely low temperatures but is work hardenable
and will locally transform to martensite under suitable
conditions of stress. Advantage of this feature of ADI
is taken by allowing the service loading stresses to
work harden the load bearing services. Alternatively,
surface stresses can be deliberately imposed prior to
service, e.g. by shot peening of gears or fillet rolling
of crankshafts in order to achieve significant
improvements in wear resistance and fatigue life.

1600

1,700F (930C)

1200

1,500F (815C)

800

Grade 125
ADI

750F (400C)
(250-320 Bhn)
450F (230C)
2 1/2 h max
(400-500 Bhn)

400

Presently there are no accepted standard specifications for ADI, but proposals for five grades of ADI
have been made which form the basis for discussion
and material selection between designers and
foundrymen.

Grade 200
ADI
0
0

Time (h)

Current ASTM A897

ADA Specifications
Tensile
Yield
Percent
Charpy
BHN Hardness
Strength
Strength
Elongation
(unnotched)
Range*
(KSI) (MPa) (KSI) (MPa)
(ft. lb.) (J)
125 0850 080 0550
10
75
100 269 - 321
150 1050 100 0700
07
60
080 302 - 363
175 1200 125 0850
04
45
060 341 - 444
200 1400 155 1100
01
25
035 388 - 477
230 1600 185 1300
00444 - 555
*not part of specification

Typical Austenitizing & Austempering Cycles

Stage 1
Austenitizing in the range 1500-1700F (815920C). The specific austenitizing temperature
selected is related to the subsequent austempering
temperature and the grade of ADI required. Once
selected, the austenitizing temperature must be
closely controlled (10F).
11

Stage 2
Rapid transfer of the castings to the austempering
furnace (usually a salt bath) where the castings are
held isothermally at the selected austempering temperature. Austempering temperatures are in the
range 450-750F (230-400C) according to the properties required in the castings (ADI grade). Close
control over temperature and time of austempering is
essential.
450

250

Courtesy: General Motors Corp., Central Foundry Division,

Saginaw, Michigan, USA

900C (1650F) Austenitizing

1400

200

1200

Austempered Ductile Iron Hypoid Axle Gears:

Conversion to Cast Ductile Iron from Forged Steel gave
major production cost saving, better machinability, quieter
operation, reduced weight.

Tensile Strength, ksi

1600
Tensile Strength, MPa

Austempering Temperature F
500 550 600 650 700

150

1000
Elongation %

12
8
4
0

220

260
300
340
380
Austempering Temperature C

ADI is well established as a gear material replacing forged steel with major production cost savings,
quieter operation and reduced weight. By machining
the gears before the austempering heat treatment,
major savings in machining costs are achieved.

ADI Timing Gears for Cummins B-Series diesel

engines. Replaced forged and case carburised 1022 steel
with 30% cost saving.

12

Success in consistently achieving the optimum

properties and performance of ADI requires high
quality, careful selection and control over the base
Ductile Iron, and heat treatment parameters. This
necessitates material of high nodule count which is
free from carbides, inclusions and shrinkage and of a
composition which minimizes the dangers of alloy
segregation.
This brief summary about the DUCTILE IRON
FAMILY is based on metallurgy, rather than on standard specifications. A chart showing the properties of
most of the Ductile Iron grades is enclosed on the
inside back cover of this publication. All properties
are primarily determined by chemical composition,
cooling (solidification and solid cooling rate) and
matrix structure.
Courtesy: Hogfors Industries Ltd., Finland

Austempered Ductile Iron gears to patented specifications K9805.

Other examples of the use of ADI castings include

truck spring supports, railroad axle-box spring adaptors, crankshafts, connecting rods, agricultural
plough shares, etc.

ADI Crankshaft for Ford turbo-charged engineADI

capable of meeting fatigue strength requirements at much
lower cost than forged steel.

13

DUCTILE IRONMORE STRENGTH FOR

LESS EXPENSE
Ductile Iron appears to have been invented (1948)
with the designer in mind. The tensile strength, proof
stress, and elongation combinations obtainable in
Ductile Iron exceed those for ANY OTHER cast ferrous alloy, including steel and malleable iron.
Since its introduction, the growth of Ductile Iron
applications has exceeded all expectations. Worldwide production is approximately 12 million tons and
is expected to reach 20 million tons by the turn of the
century. The application of Ductile Iron is a notable
engineering achievement of our age.

DISK BREAK CALIPER

WORLD PRODUCTION
OF
DUCTILE IRON

Whether in an automobile component, as shown

above, a water pipe, plow, or a robbery-proof parking meter box, Ductile Iron has made major inroads
to the casting market in every industrially developed
country. There can be little doubt, that the major motivating factor for this was MORE STRENGTH FOR
LESS EXPENSE compared to just about every other
cast alloy. The lesser expense comes not only from
the readily available raw materials and the efficiencies
of the foundry operation, but also from reduced cleaning and machining costs of Ductile Iron castings.

(Including Pipe)

20
3-5% Growth

MILLION TONNES

16

12

The following pages present a variety of Ductile

Iron case histories from around the world. Many
more examples could have been added. The Ductile
Iron alloys are versatile and appear to find unlimited
applications.

0
1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

14

The original design of the 1,000 H.P. pump frame

was a steel fabrication. Converting to Ductile Iron
achieved more uniform stress distribution, lower production cost and improved strength-to-weight ratio.
The weight was reduced by 46 percent, which is particularly important for remote installations where the
parts must be airlifted.

Courtesy: Fichtel & Sachs, Germany

Ductile Iron can readily by surface hardened to 55

Rc, which provides for the superior performance of
this catch-sleeve.

Courtesy: Gardner Denver Co., USA

A camshaft thrust plate is exposed to severe

abrasive wear. The reason for selecting Ductile Iron
was to combine wear resistance with machinability.
For break-in, this casting is phosphate-coated.

Courtesy: Dana Corp., USA

15

In the design of bearing housings, compressive

strength is an important factor. Ductile Iron, as shown
in the photographs, compares favorably with steel.
Additional advantages are better machinability and
vibration damping.

Courtesy: Ausherman Manufacturing Co., Inc., USA

Courtesy: S.K.F., Katrineholm, Sweden

This 5-1/2 lbs. (2-1/2 kg.) idler chain sprocket is

from a large jack used for straightening automobile
and truck frames. Designed by Kansas Jack, Inc.,
McPherson, Kansas, USA and cast by Ausherman
Manufacturing Co., Inc., this part is made of Ductile
Iron to USA specifications ASTM A 536 - 65-45-12 and
is used in the as-cast condition.
Kansas Jacks on-the-shelf cost, ready to use in
assembly is 63% less for the Ductile Iron casting,
than it was for the weldment.

Courtesy: Metallgesellschaft, A.G. Germany

The scaffold fittings shown above, with 2 to 5 mm

wall thickness, illustrate the excellent castability of
Ductile Iron.
16

Pistons for low speed, high pressure compressors

were originally one-piece gray iron castings with 19
mm walls. As speeds increased, the need for a higher strength, lighter weight piston was achieved by
casting the pistons in Ductile Iron and reducing wall
thicknesses to 5-6 mm.

Courtesy: Gardner Denver Co., USA

Also, a design change to a two-piece welded

assembly simplified casting procedures and permitted further weight reduction. This saving in weight
reduced inertia of the piston.
Courtesy: C.A. Parsons & Co., Ltd., England

The mating surfaces and weld bevels of the piston

halves are machined, then bolted together on an
arbor and furnace heated to 1,050F (565C). The
preheated assembly is welded using a shielded
metal arc with nickel-iron electrodes (ENiFeC1). The
weld is made in three passes and the assembly heat
treated to the specified 201-260 BHN.

The seating ring is part of an advanced design

marine sterngear unit. Beside the need for high
strength, good corrosion resistance in a saline environment is required. The choice: austenitic Ductile
Iron to British Standard BS3468-AUS 202A.

17

Courtesy: The H.P. Deuscher Co., USA

This frame, for a 4,000 volt primary lighting

arrester and overload switch gear, was originally cast
in steel. Inadequate strength often resulted in
warpage, which caused the failure of the whole
assembly.
Switching to medium-strength Ductile Iron provided adequate strength and impact loading resistance.
The part cost was also reduced.
Courtesy: Dorr Oliver Long, Ltd., Canada

Axle trucks for mine cars. By switching from cast

steel to Ductile Iron, dimensional stability in service
increased. The main cost saving occurred as a result
of reducing machining.

18

The bracket shown below must have precise

dimensions and carry heavy loads. The alternative
materialcast steelwould be more expensive
because of alloying, machining, and heat treatment
costs. Ductile Iron is also superior in its dimensional
accuracy. The casting is used in the as cast condition.

Before
fabricated
(assembly)

After one
piece D.I.
casting

Courtesy: Ferrovorm, Republic of South Africa

Mounting bracket on a mold board plow produced

by Fedmech Holdings Limited. The reason for
switching to a grade 72,500 p.s.i. (500 mPa) Ductile
Iron casting was the many field failures of the heavily welded steel part. Repeated attempts to improve
the fabricated design resulted in too many components which led to warping and dimensional accuracy problems during welding. There was also a high
reject level during fabrication of the part.

Courtesy: Sulzer Bros., Ltd., Winterthur, Switzerland

Since switching to a Ductile Iron casting there

have been no field failures.

19

SOME OF THE DUCTILE IRON CASTINGS USED IN A JAPANESE AUTOMOBILE.

Courtesy: Toyota Motors Corporation, Japan

AUTOMOBILES USE MANY DUCTILE IRON

CASTINGS. While this booklet is too short to
describe all the reasons for the material selection,
the major ones are castability, ease of machining,
reliability in service, vibration damping, surface hardenability, wide range of strength to choose from, etc.

In addition, since the modules of elasticity of

Ductile Iron is somewhat lower than that of steel, the
stresses due to unavoidable misalignment are lower.
Crankshafts are a good example of the utilization of
this property.

20

The nuts machined from a Ductile Iron sleeve

casting cost more than nuts machined from steel bar
stock. Still, the choice was Ductile Iron. The reason:
the presence of face graphite in the Ductile Iron
structure provides for a unique self-lubricating
feature in service.

Courtesy: Von Roll, A.G., Klus, Switzerland

Housings for hydraulic control devices used mainly

on heavy machine tools. These housings, machined
from grade DIN 1693; GGG 60 (German Standard),
(continuously cast Ductile Iron) must withstand up to
500 atmospheres (7,000 psi) internal pressure.

Courtesy: Metalgesellschaft, A.G. Germany

21

THE PRINCIPLES OF DUCTILE IRON

CASTING DESIGN

Casting as opposed to stamping, forging or welding, is the most universally practicable method of
metal forming and offers great freedom in creating
the shape of the part to be designed. Complex
curves and ribs or bosses may be combined with little
process restriction. The ability, for instance to cast
pump and turbine casing involutes to their desired
shape eliminates an almost impossible machining
operation. The combination of two or more components into a single casting can dramatically reduce
cost and improve performance.

Casting design will be discussed insofar as Ductile

Iron is concerned. Presenting general rules would
reach beyond the scope of this work. There are reference books available that deal with Casting Design.
Familiarizing oneself with the advantages of
designing with Ductile Iron helps not only to achieve
engineering elegance (uniform stress-flow, optimum
economy) but also helps the designer to decide
when the use of Ductile Iron is preferable to an alternative material. In this regard, then, design characteristics may be considered to be one of the technological properties of this material.

Principle No. 1
Utilize the Freedom Offered by the Casting
Process.
The purpose of design is to achieve functional performance of a part at minimum cost in materials and
manufacture. An individual design is usually a compromise between an engineering concept to satisfy
specific service requirements and a form suitable for
high quality, low cost production.

Courtesy: TMF, Republic of South Africa

Ductile Iron tram wheels for underground mining operations, shown as-shaken-out. Machining time was
reduced to 1/8 that of the previous material, cast steel,
while safety in service increased.

22

In spite of design freedom, difficulties are sometimes encountered when transforming the engineering concept into a useful casting especially when the
part was originally designed as a forging, stamping
or fabrication.

The process of deciding to design and produce

castings may be summarized as follows:
Preliminary
decision to use a casting
detailed design
inquiry, quotation, order

Since the designer is concerned with a wide range

of products, he is seldom wholly conversant with the
casting process and so the part is designed without
regard for a multitude of foundry variables. This is not
to suggest the designer should obtain a comprehensive understanding of the casting process but rather
that he should understand the fundamentals and
refer additional queries to the founder who is a specialist in the casting process.

Production
pattern manufacture
sample/prototype casting production
bulk casting production
Very often only superficial contact is established
between designer and founder until sample or prototype castings are produced. Occasionally, significant
changes are requested at this stage by the designer,
or the founder. The designer may have the impression he did not quite receive what he ordered and the
founder may realize that a few relatively minor
changes to the casting shape may make the casting
much simpler and therefore cheaper to produce without affecting performance of the casting. For whatever reason, changes at this stage may mean lengthy,
costly delays.

Ideally, the designer and founder should establish

close contact during the preliminary stages of casting
design so that the founder has an opportunity to use
his detailed knowledge of the foundry industry and of
his own products, for mutual benefit. In this way,
comments on draft designs and pattern construction
to suit specific foundry requirements, can be made
with the least inconvenience. Consequently, major
(late) changes in shape, dimensional tolerances and
material specification may never arise. All these factors will probably be reflected in lower casting prices
since the price of a casting is not simply a function of
its weight but rather of the complexity of its shape
and how this affects the cost of patterns, cores,
molds, cleaning and casting yield.

It is therefore essential to involve the founder from

the beginning in the technical aspects of detailed
design and minimize the occurrence of costly delays
during the production stages.

23

Principle No. 2

Cavities in the mold other than that of the casting

cavity are needed for two purposes; 1, to deliver the
liquid iron from the top of the assembled mold to the
casting cavity, 2, to replace the volume lost due to
the shrinkage of the liquid iron from the pouring temperature to the freezing temperature. The first set of
cavities or channels is called the gating system while
the feeding cavities are called risers. As a rule, both
the gating system and the risers are integral parts of
the pattern.

Understanding the Fundamentals of the

Casting Process
Most modifications to the ideal casting shape,
aimed at optimum production economy, arise from
the understanding of the casting process. This
required knowledge may be summarized as follows:
The first step in the casting process is to produce
the pattern, a nearly exact reproduction of the whole
casting, usually in wood or metal. The pattern is then
sectioned (a) usually in one or more parallel planes.
The sections, one after the other, are placed into
molding boxes or flasks and the box is tightly filled
with bonded, firm sand (b) (c). The pattern creates a
cavity after withdrawal (d). This cavity will be filled
later with liquid iron to form the casting.

The liquid iron first passes through the gating

system, then, through one or more openings (gates)
into the mold cavity, and finally, the entire mold cavity including the risers fills with liquid iron. While passing through all the channels and filling the mold, the
temperature of the liquid iron decreases. The thinner
the casting walls, the greater the temperature loss.
This increases markedly the danger of defects due to
improper fusion.

24

Internal cavities in the casting must be produced

by placing properly shaped inserts, called cores,
usually made from bonded sand, into the mold cavity. The core materials must be subsequently
removed and, therefore, the internal cavity must
communicate with the outside of the casting. The
core also must be well-supported and anchored by
the mold to avoid flotation or deformation during
mold filling due to the difference between the density of the core and that of the liquid iron. One anchor
point is the theoretical minimum. Normally at least
two anchor points (core prints) are required.

with decreasing temperature until slightly above the

solidification temperature. Upon further cooling, the
contraction stops and a definite volumetric expansion
starts. Unfortunately, the expansion phase prevails
through only part, but not all of the solidification
process. The expansion gives way to another contraction phase, secondary shrinkage, which continues
until all of the liquid is transformed to solid.
It is the craft of the foundryman to use the abovedescribed pattern of volume changes to obtain sound
castings. The temperature of the liquid iron should be
high enough to provide for complete fusion of the
separate streams and to avoid the entrapment of
small gas bubbles. Each section thickness has its
optimum pouring temperature range within which
perfectly sound castings can be made. Ductile Iron
castings with 3 mm thick walls may need to be
poured as hot as 2,640F (1,450C), while 100 mm
thick castings can be poured at between 2,3002,400F (1,260-1,320C). Difficulties may arise when
large differences in section thickness exist in one
casting. Such castings can be made sound, with
considerable extra effort. The foundry will be pleased
to explain.

Cores are also required when, due to configuration, the pattern cannot be withdrawn from the mold.
Such cores can be readily made, but they add considerably to the cost of production. For this reason,
the designer should be aware that undercuts prevent
pattern withdrawal. Small cores exhibit relatively low
strength especially at the temperature of liquid iron.
For this reason, if holes of small cross section are
required in the casting, it may be less expensive to
machine the holes than to form them by the use of
small (weak) cores. Channels of small cross section
may be cast integrally by placing appropriately
shaped steel tubing in the mold cavity in a core-like
fashion. A portion of the steel tubing wall will fuse
with the liquid Ductile Iron.

It is in the best interest of both casting producer

and user to design with as little difference in wall
thicknesses as possible. It may be more economical
to mechanically assemble two or more castings than
to produce a one-piece casting with widely varying
section thicknesses.

The volume changes that occur during the cooling

and solidification of Ductile Iron are unlike those in
any other alloy. The volume of the liquid decreases

25

Principle No. 3

considered individually on the basis of their excellent

corrosion, erosion and oxidation resistance, performance at elevated temperatures, magnetic properties, low thermal expansivity and other unique features.

Design for Optimum Economy

The price of a casting quoted by the foundry is
relatively unimportant both to the ultimate user and to
the designer. Instead, the contribution of the casting
cost to the total cost should be considered. This
incorporates items such as machining, shipping
costs, ease of repair, service life, and others.

Factor #2 Machining cost

Every step in the manufacturing process affects

total production economy and each of these is influenced by the designer. A complete review here is neither necessary nor possible. Instead, four major factors
influencing economy will be discussed. One additional
factor, dimensional tolerance, will be discussed later.

Machining costs are frequently of major

importance from the point of view of economy.
Strength, weight, service life, and other considerations may be overruled on occasion to minimize
machining cost. The grades easiest to machine are
3 and 4, followed by 5, then 2. Grade 1 is the least
machinable although its machinability is superior to
steels with the same hardness. The machinability of
austenitic Ductile Irons is generally superior to that of
stainless steels.

Factor #1 Strength required

Factor #3 Cooling rate

The grade of Ductile Iron selected will have a considerable effect on economy. With reference to the
classification on the insert, grade 65-45-12 is the
least expensive especially if machining costs are of
some consideration. Grade 80-55-06 costs approximately the same to cast but is somewhat less easy
to machine. Grade 100-70-03 is still relatively inexpensive and should be selected where its high
strength and good wear resistance are utilized.
Grades 60-40-18 and 120-90-02 are the most expensive to cast, but either may be the most economical
choice if the particular material characteristics are
of value in service. The evaluation of the very
expensive austenitic grades of Ductile Iron must be

It will be shown how cooling rate (section thickness) affects the properties of Ductile Iron. Rapid
cooling promotes a hard and brittle structure which is
difficult-to-machine. In terms of wall thickness, 6 mm
or heavier sections are relatively easy to produce
without any embrittlement or unduly high hardness.
Thinner walls are increasingly more difficult to produce without such deterioration in the as-cast condition. The brittleness and high hardness can be eliminated through heat treatment, but such treatment is
expensive and also results in distortion to various
degrees. Whenever practical, cast wall thickness
should be at least 6 mm to facilitate as-cast delivery.
Heat treatment increases casting cost by 10 to 30%.
26

Factor #4 Design Simplicity

Principle No. 4

It is well known that the simplest design is the best

design. It is also the most economical. A healthy
compromise between contour simplicity and uniform
stress distribution usually requires less expensive
pattern equipment and few or no cores. The construction and maintenance of pattern and core boxes
and core-making itself all contribute to product cost.
Again, talk to the foundry.

Design for Casting Soundness

Thanks to the volumetric expansion which occurs
during part of the solidification process, a sound,
pressure tight casting is easier to produce from
Ductile Iron than from any other metal or alloy except
ordinary gray cast iron. Still, feeding requirements vary
with casting shape and sizevariables under the control
of the designer. Unlike steel, brass and most other
alloys, the designer and foundry processes for
Ductile Iron should aim at simultaneous solidification
of the whole casting. This requirement is opposite to the
desire for directional solidification which applies to steel.

The effect of large differences in section size on

casting soundness was briefly discussed earlier.
Heavy bosses or walls adjoining thin sections require
special treatment on the part of the foundry (risers,
chills). This means additional cost and is detrimental
to casting yield. The impact of casting yield on
foundry production economy is the most important of
all variables including the material selected and heat
treatment. The freezing pattern and feeding requirements are also influenced by the geometry of the
design. More on this later.

Design aimed at simultaneous solidification minimizes and sometimes eliminates the need for risers
with corresponding improvement of casting yield.
Conversely, parts of a Ductile Iron casting which cool
much slower than the rest may become defective
unless the foundryman provides extra (and expensive) feeding. Some examples of such isolated hot
spots are as follows:

SCAFFOLD FITTING

Cast-on heavy bosses

Cast-on heavy test coupons
Sharp internal corners
Joints between equally thick walls
Multiple joints (2 is better than 3, 3 is better than
4, etc.)
Joints at acute angles (90 is best)
Isolated heavy sections.

One advantage of using

castings is the clear marking of
names, direction of rotation,
etc. Even the date, or heat, or
production hour can be easily
marked on the surface.
Courtesy: Metallgesellschaft,
A.G. Germany

Which could be lightened without reducing load

carrying capacity.
27

Principle No. 5
Specify No More Dimensional Accuracy than
Needed
Due to the nature of the casting process, the
dimensional accuracy of raw castings is more difficult
to control than, for example, machining to size.
Principal dimensional inaccuracies in Ductile Iron
arise from the following sources:
a. Inherent inaccuracies in the machined dimensions
of the pattern and core box.
b. Deformation of core(s) in liquid iron.
c. Inaccuracies due to the presence of parting line(s).
d. Relief of cast-in stresses, if and when castings are
heat treated.

Courtesy: Hitachi Ltd., Katsura, Japan

Automobile clutch pressure plate. High strength, reliability, and ease of machining led to the section of Ductile
Iron for the part shown. It is exposed to heavy alternating
loads.

With the exception of source a. the inaccuracies

are dependent on the physical size of the casting.
The larger the casting the more inaccuracy expected. Dimensional inaccuracies from mold deformation
during pattern withdrawal are minimized through
proper tapering of the pattern (draft). A minimum
draft of 1:100 suffices only for very shallow patterns.
Deep patterns may need to be drafted as much as
5:100 for maximum accuracy.

One simple qualitative method for evaluating the

degree of success toward a uniform solidification
pattern is to inscribe circles into selected sections of
the design. If the diameters of the circles are all the
same, as they would be in a straight wall, optimum
conditions prevail. Sudden increases in the circle
size (to twice or more of the diameter in an adjoining
section) require special attention by the foundry.

28

Principle No. 6

The following is presented as an approximate

guide to the dimensional accuracies to be expected
in Ductile Iron castings.

The Effect of Section Size on Mechanical

Properties

Approximate Dimensional Tolerances on Ductile

Iron Castings in Green Sand
Specified Dimension
in Millimeters

Tolerance
in Millimeters

0- 25
25- 125
125- 250
250- 500
500-1,000
1,000-2,500

1.0
2.0
2.5
4.0
6.0
8.0

Data included in this work, like most published

data on Ductile Iron properties, are valid for approximately 20 to 50 mm thick castings. Standard specifications are normally set for 25 mm keel block or
Y-block test castings. Some standard specifications
recognize the effect of section size (cooling rate) by
lowering minimum required values, usually for elongation, with larger test castings or for samples cut
from the casting.
The effect of section size on properties is the
result of changes in microscopic structure as the latter
is influenced by cooling rate. Three prominent effects
of cooling rate on microscopic structure are:

Additional points to be considered:

a. The values given refer to 80-to-90 mold hardness
range (green sand). Softer molds yield lower
dimensional accuracy.
b. Accuracy can be increased at additional cost
through the use of very hard molds such as dry
sand, chemically bonded sand, etc. Even more
accurate castings can be produced in semiprecision and precision molds. The investment
casting process provides about the utmost
accuracy obtainable with approximate tolerances
of 0.003 x specified dimension. Production costs
increase with increased demand for accuracy.
c. Accuracy can be improved by a factor of approximately two if the (large) number of castings to be
produced permits an experimental production run
followed by reworking of the pattern equipment.

a. Very high cooling rates do not permit all the insoluble carbon to precipitate in the form of spheroidal
graphite. Instead, various amounts of a hard and
brittle component, iron carbide (Fe3C) will form.
b. Very slow cooling results in large diameter,
irregularly-shaped spheroids of graphite up to
1.5 mm in diameter.
c. Varying the cooling rate in the 1560-480F (850250C) temperature range from very fast to very
slow produces different structures from martensite (very fast cooling) through pearlite, pearliteferrite to all ferrite (slow cooling).

29

Cooling
rate

Section
thickness

very slow

very thick

slow

thick

normal

thin

fast

very thin

Ductile Iron grade 60-40-18 High ductility

Ductile Iron grade 65-45-12
Ductile Iron grade 80-55-06
Ductile Iron grade 100-70-03
Ductile Iron grade 120-90-02 High Strength

for design calculations, the designer must request

the foundry to produce test castings which will cool at
approximately the same rate as the product casting.
Mechanical tests on these test castings will yield the
most accurate prediction of the properties in the
product casting.

100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 (mPa)

14,500
43,500
72,000
101,500
(p.s.i.)
0.2% proof stress

The presence or absence of carbides and the type

of matrix obtained in any given section can be controlled by alloying or heat treatment. They need not
be discussed here as long as the effects are recognized by the designer. The size of the spheroidal
graphite, on the other hand, can be influenced by,
amongst other things, the cooling rate of the casting
which in turn can be determined by the shape or
design of the casting. These effects should be considered in design calculations.

Courtesy: Cleaver-Brooks Company,

Division of Aqua-Chem, Inc., USA

This manufacturer specified Ductile Iron pressure vessel

sections over gray iron for its new line of cast iron boilers.
Ductile Iron to ASTM specification A 395-80 (60-40-18) was
selected for its superior tensile, yield and thermal fatigue
strengths. For boiler applications these properties are
important since they provide improved resistance to
pressure vessel failures caused by thermal shock or other
stresses. Ductile Irons excellent corrosion and wear
resistance was another factor in Cleaver-Brooks material
selection.

Providing the shape of the graphite is approximately spheroidal, there is negligible deterioration of
chemical, physical and technological properties.
However, published data vary over a very wide
range. Some tenative information on the mechanical
properties to expect in carbide-free Ductile Iron of different section sizes is given above. If more precise
knowledge of these or other properties is essential
30

Principle No. 7
Design with Adequate Safety
Both automobile steering knuckles and plowshares are made in Ductile Iron. It is obvious these
castings have different safety requirements. Safety
requirements vary within wide limits, with the above
two examples representing extremes.
The designer is in command of all controls necessary to achieve whatever degree of safety is needed.
These controls, however, need to be applied judiciously, because increasing part safety invariably
increases cost. The controls available are:
a. Approximating the ultimate load carrying capacity of the material to various predetermined
degrees. Under static loads the maximum permissible stress equals the yield strength. Usual
design stresses vary from 50 to 75% of the yield
strength (0.2% offset proof stress). Parts exposed
to frequently varying loads should be designed on
the basis of the endurance limit. Design stresses
of 50 to 100% of the endurance limit are customary, corresponding to a very high, and low margin
of safety, respectively.
b. Estimating the effect of potential emergency
overloads involves the determination of the most
likely failure mechanism. Emergency operating
conditions can seldom be foreseen. Neverless,
the occurrence of such conditions should be considered. Excessive static or dynamic loads may
cause failure either through deformation of the

The need to redesign an ammonia valve line gave

Henry Valve Co. of Illinois the opportunity to make the conversion from gray iron to Ductile Iron as shown. Size (thinner valve walls) and weight reductions (45% reduction)
were achieved without sacrificing performance.

31

part beyond utility or by fracture. Depending on

the type of service, one failure mechanism will
prove to be safer than the other. For example, in
a pressure-tight container an unexpected major
increase in the internal pressure may burst the
casting or it may permanently deform it. A permanent deformation will probably be the safer failure
mechanism. This is one example of relatively few
applications where ductility is the desired design
property. Another example is that of a gear. A
sudden unexpected load may break or bend one
or more teeth. In this case, breakage will probably
be safer since the structure will be able to
continue operating, albeit poorly, until replacement is effected.

to the degree of safety expected from the casting.

For the so-called safety critical parts, 100% nondestructive testing is often required even though
such extensive testing is very expensive.
Radiographic, eddy current, magnetic and ultrasonic and sonic frequency methods are available
for non-destructive testing.

The indiscriminate use of the high ductility

grade (Grade 60-40-18) cannot be upheld even
from the point of view of safety. Grade 80-55-06
can withstand 70 to 80% higher loads; Grade
120-90-02 can withstand two-and-a-half times
more load, either static or dynamic, than Grade
60-40-18. Beyond these limits, Grades 120-9002, 100-70-03 and 80-55-06 will fail through fracture while Grade 65-45-12 and especially Grade
60-40-18 will fail through permanent deformation
under much lighter loads. If safety so dictates, the
low strength, high ductility grades should be chosen but each application must be evaluated individually.

Courtesy: Salzgitter Huttenwerk, A.G., Salzgitter, Germany

Housing for low pressure section of a 300 MW turbine.

Total weight: 48 tons. The success of Ductile Iron for this
application is attributed to its good elevated temperature
strength, and particularly, its high temperature yield
strength. Castings allow the design engineer to generate
internal contours, which are nearly impossible to machine.

c. Specifying destructive and non-destructive tests

on a given number of castings, and the frequency
and thoroughness of testing is directly proportional
32

Principle No. 8

Tight quality control needs to be exercised

throughout the entire casting process, particularly
when producing a high performance material like
Ductile Iron.

Trust the Foundry

Foundrymen producing Ductile Iron are well aware
of choices in manufacturing processes, effects of
chemical composition, the effects of heat treatment,
and the in-plant controls necessary, to produce a
serviceable casting.

Whether or not the specified properties have been

met should not be a matter of trust. It is not only the
right but also the duty of the designer to either
request or to perform tests as extensive as (safety)
considerations require, in order to be satisfied that
the casting indeed exhibits the properties expected.

If the designer prescribes how the castings should

be manufactured he obviously trespasses the
foundrymans domain. The designer representing the
buyer will probably succeed in this interference, but
gains nothing by it and often ends up paying more for
the castings than he would have, had he left the
choice of manufacturing process to the foundryman.
The most common unnecessary instructions are
those on chemical composition, heat treatment, and
quality control.
For instance, it is well known that increasing silicon content increases impact transition temperature.
If the designer decides that a certain minimum
impact test value is desired at a given temperature,
he should specify that, rather than the silicon content. Most properties can be obtained via heat treatment but, provided proper production controls are
exercised, they can be obtained as-cast as well. It
should remain the foundrymans choice to deliver
castings as-cast or heat treated as long as the casting properties meet specifications.

Courtesy: Parten Machinery Co., Minneapolis, MN

This one-piece ductile carriage wheel replaces four

former parts. In the redesign to ductile, total cost dropped
from $251 per unit to $75. Machining was cut from $189 to
$38, and the number of production operations dropped
from 7 to 3. The 100-70-03 Ductile Iron was specified
because of its good response to Tufftride treatment.

33

Principle No. 9

The best time to meet with the foundryman is during the design of the raw or ideal part. The foundry
will be anxious to cooperate in determining whether
or not any modifications are needed to facilitate casting production. The suggested modifications will not
necessarily be acceptable to the designer, but both
sides will most certainly gain from the communication. The foundryman will also be pleased to show
you his foundry in operation, the capabilities of his
molding line and his core making facilities. You may
be able to see some good examples of castings similar
to your design.

Communicate with the Foundry

It may seem an admission of defeat to again suggest, after all the casting design principles described
previously, that the designer should confer with the
foundryman before finalizing his plans. However, this
suggestion constitutes the last principle of designing
castings in Ductile Iron.
No designer will be an expert foundryman after
having read the brief fundamentals of the casting
process and the particulars pertaining to Ductile Iron.
Following these fundamentals will hopefully assist in
avoiding major design errors. Deciding on fine details
of potentially large significance in economy and performance requires a more profound understanding of
both the casting process and the particular foundry
involved.

Courtesy: Pontiac Motor Division, General Motors Corp.

Redesigned automobile crankshaft, used in

the Pontiac 2.5 liter L4 engine. According to the
designers, the new nodular (ductile) iron casting
is 10 lbs. or 23% lighter than the one it replaced.
This was accomplished without sacrificing the
crankshafts durability or integrity.

34

Material and fabricating costs dropped from $467 per unit

to $67. Another benefit of the redesign was better appearance, and reduced manufacturing problems.

Courtesy: Daniel Industries, Inc., USA

This Ductile Iron casting houses the operator for a special plug valve performing the function of two valves. The
new housing was redesigned from a steel fabrication into
Ductile Iron, saving Daniel Industries $2,300,000 annually.

Worlds heaviest Ductile Iron casting weighting 160

tons. Frame for 40MN press. Dimensions 11300 x 3800 x
3000 mm.

This support provides vertical and horizontal safety

spring attachments for a coulter blade and arm assembly,
used on moldboard plows. The new Ductile Iron and steel
composite design replaced a weld fabrication, reducing
total cost 37%, for a first-year saving of $167,500. Cited by
the designer as additional advantages of the redesign
were improved reliability and appearance. By careful
attention to design, a Ductile Iron casting was conventionally welded to a sheet steel stamping. In the design, provision was made for an internal welding ear to be added to
the casting in order to place the weld material in shear at
the tension side of the joint.

Courtesy: John Deere Plow & Planter Works

Courtesy: Siempelkamp Giesserei GmbH & Co. ,

Krefeld, West Germany

35

THE DUCTILE IRON FOUNDRY

The popularity of the Ductile Iron family of alloys
arises from their versatility and good economy.
Practical observations and adaptations by thousands
of producing foundries have made the production of
Ductile Iron castings, routine. Making Ductile Iron
castings resembles the production of other ferrous
castingsexperience and craftsmanship are integral
parts of founding.
A small, but adequate addition of magnesium is
the basic step in changing graphite shape from flake
to spheroidal. This treatment of the liquid iron is usually done with ferrosilicon-magnesium alloy. Equally
important is the inoculation of the treated alloy by an
addition of ferrosilicon when filling the pouring ladle.
The control over alloy composition involves
approximately twenty elements. The determination of
all is not absolutely necessary which highlights the
need for reliable charge materials. Routine determination of carbon and silicon contents in the furnace
is essential even in the smallest operation.
The successful foundry invariably has an
established practice of careful production and quality
control. As stated earlier, such control is not the
designers responsibility. However, if the foundry is
not equipped with the most basic quality control
equipment, or else, fails to use it, the integrity of the
castings is suspect.

36

INSPECTION

c). Methods to reveal the presence of sub-surface defects:

(i) X-Radiography (Gamma Radiography)

Inspection is principally the domain of the designer

and customer. Yet, to some degree, the foundryman
will get involved. First, he will inspect the castings for
external appearance and dimensions. Microscopic
examination will verify the spheroidization and matrix
structure. Often this will suffice if the sample is taken
according to the wishes of the designer. The frequency of such sampling should also be established.

(ii) Ultrasonic inspection

The integrity of a casting is determined by the production process parameters. Specifying any of the
above tests will not improve the integrity of the casting but it will increase the delivered cost. It is reasonable to expect the foundry to exercise basic control
of process quality, as previously outlined, and to monitor product quality by measuring hardness, microstructure and to visually inspect casting surface finish.
When this basic control and inspection is exercised
continuously, the foundryman is well disposed to produce castings which consistently meet specifications.

Some of the routine tests which may be specified,

providing these are justified by the anticipated service conditions of the casting, are listed below:
a) Mechanical Property tests:
(i) Determination of ultimate tensile strength, yield
strength (proof stress), elongation, hardness
(ii) Determination of impact resistance
(iii) Determination of dimensional accuracy (possibly
with jigs)

Mechanical property tests can be carried out at

elevated, room or sub-zero temperatures and particularly in the case of impact resistance, the test temperature should always be specified.
Additionally, the surface and sub-surface conditions of a casting may be assessed by the following:

Courtesy: Siempelkamp, Krefield, West Germany

b) Methods to reveal the presence of surface defects:

Ductile Iron casting weighing 85 tons, used for the storage and transportation of spent nuclear fuel element rods.
International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) controls
apply to these castings and they were able to satisfy
extremely demanding approval tests.

(i) Visual inspection

(ii) Dye penetrant inspection
(iii) Magnetic (fluorescent) particle inspection

37

DUCTILE IRONTHE DESIGNERS CHOICE

Ductile Iron castings have replaced gray iron, malleable iron and steel castings in many applications,
giving better performance, often at lower cost.

Heavy, welded, steel fabrications up to medium size

can virtually always be replaced by Ductile Iron castings. Here are just some of the current applications:

Automotive and Agricultural

General Engineering

Axle housings
Body bolsters
Brake cylinders
Caliper brake
Camshafts
Clutch drums
Connecting rods
Crankshafts
Cultivator
Cylinder bushings
Exhaust manifolds
Front wheel forks

Actuating cams
Armature spiders
Barstock
Bell cranks
Boiler segments
Briquetting rams
Cantilever heads
Clamp cylinders
Coal crusher gears
Commutator drums
Compressor bodies
Crusher hammers
Damper frames
Die blocks
Dredge sprockets
Extension clamps
Forging dies
Frames and jibs
Furnace grates
Girth gears
Gyratory crushers
Heater coils
Hot forming dies
Insulator caps
Lawn mower frames and
parts
Lightning arresters

Gears and pinions

Hitch brackets
Motorcycle clutch
components
Piston rings
Plowshares
Steering boxes
Tire molds
Tow bar couplings
Wheel hubs
Yokes

Other Transportation Modes

Anchors
Bridge bearings
Bulldozer parts
Cable coupler
Capstans
Car journal boxes
Charge buckets
Chute plates
Coke car plates
Conveyor frames
Couplers

Crawler sprockets
Elevator buckets
Furnace skids
Hoist drums
Idlers
Pipe flanges
Propellers
Railway wheels
Rollers
Runway drains
Track crossovers

38

Machine frames
Mandrels
Meter components
Nuclear fuel containers
Oil manifolds
Overhead switch gear
Pile driver heads
Pipe forming dies
Press roll bodies
Pump bodies
Ratchets
Resistance grids
Rocker brackets
Rolls
Rubber molds
Sawmill beds
Shafts
Shear frames
Spindles
Suspension brackets
Tank covers
Thread guides
Tunnel segments
Turret heads
Typewriter frames
Vise frames
Wood augers